The Hornets beat the Bucks

The Hornets' double-OT win over the Bucks last night was exciting and thrilling and all that fuzzy stuff. It was also much closer than it should have been. Still, I'm going the Bob Licht route today and staying optimistic, because it's all about the wins, baby, and right now the Hornets are gittin um.

As Chris Paul said postgame, "All you've got to do is win by one. It doesn't matter how good or ugly it looks. All you've got to do is win." True that.

This time, It was Hornets letting a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead slip away. They led 82-72 with about eight minutes left in regulation, but suffered a six-minute scoring drought which allowed the Bucks back in it.

Chris Paul was the hero in this one, taking an inbounds after an Earl Boykins' free throw put the Bucks up 90-88, then driving the length of the floor and hitting the clutch layup with under a second left. The image above shows that very moment (bigger here). I find it interesting that #11 (Boykins) in the background was supposed to be defending Chris on the play. Talk about leaving a guy in the dust.

Paul finished with 14 points, 10 assists and 5 turnovers. He shot just 3-of-17 from the field. He was 6-of-23 in the Denver game a night earlier.

Tyson Chandler must be paying attention, going one better than his usual double-double last night by scoring 11 points and grabbing a career-high 22 rebounds.

Also looks like The Ghost Runner is psychic, as David West did indeed have a big game, scoring 21 and grabbing a career-high 19. He had me worried when he left the game in the third quarter holding his right arm. Turns out that it was (just?) a bruised hand. He checked back in early in the fourth and contributed 9 points and 10 rebounds thereafter.

As a team, the Hornets grabbed 71 rebounds, which is just obscene. That ties a franchise record, folks. The Bucks had 49 boards, 33 on the defensive end. The Hornets had 31 on the offensive end, also a franchise record.

Leading Milwaukee was Mo Williams with 30 points, three of which didn't come on his wayward long bomb at the end of the first overtime. I was thinking that was a dumb shot to take, but then Mo has been know to hit them.

A fresh-legged Ruben Patterson had 28 points, 16 rebounds and 5 steals for Milwaukee, while Andrew Bogut didn't look much like a guy taken ahead of Chris Paul in the draft; He had 10 points and 8 rebounds in 50 minutes.

With Bucks newcomer Jared Reinernot yet programmed into the Hornets' computer system, Reiner's first-quarter statistics were given to Brian Skinner. The situation was corrected by halftime.

Turns out Bobby Jackson wasn't so much going through a shooting slump as HIS LEFT THUMB IS BROKEN!! Seriously. He's like that guy from Apocalypto, just keeps on going with spears and shit sticking out of him. Bojangles shot 4-of-10 against the Bucks, finishing with 12 points. His three-bomb in the second overtime was pivotal.

The Hornets tossed up 105 shots Thursday night at the Ford Center… The hometowners missed 66 shots; the Hornets had one game earlier this season in which they didn't even take 66 shots.

Standings. We're now even with Golden State for the tenth best record in the West, a half game behind Minnesota and 1.5 behind the Nuggets and Clippers. The Kings' win over Chicago last night puts them a half game up our ass.

I had a quick look at the upcoming games for the teams we're battling with right now. The Nuggets don't have it easy, with four of their next five on the road and Iverson out again. The Clippers are in the middle of a seven-game road trip that has seen them lose three straight, so they're not exactly cruising either.

The other three have it easier. Sacramento play seven of their next nine on the road, but only three of those games are against teams with a winning record. Minnesota only have two road games the rest of the month, although their home slate does include visits from Dallas and Phoenix. Meanwhile, the Warriors have it easiest of all, with four of their next five at home and only one of those five against a team above .500. G-State are kinda beat up right now, though.

Our Hornets play just one team with a winning record in the remaining eight games this month. March brings much better opponents, so the time is now. Our guys are back in action at the Ford tomorrow for episode one of a home-and-home against the Grizzlies.